Read a number of chapters and was frustrated by the characters depicted...Cat is already over stressed and I didn't care about the outcome at all.

Cat McCarthy returns home to help her sister, Ginger save their family’s theatre camp. When she realizes that Ginger has basically handed over the camp to someone who has fled with their money, Cat decides to step up and help save the camp.

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin was a slow burn story about sisterhood, family obligations, and realizing who you are. I struggled to get into it in the beginning, but once the pace picked up, I ended up enjoying it. The camp setting was fun, and I really liked the secondary characters.

This book has a fun plot, but it’s much more character driven. I found it hard to relate to Cat’s character in the beginning because she was so condescending and patronizing towards her sister and the camp staff. While her character did see growth throughout, I actually preferred Ginger and the quirky secondary characters like Shirtless and Gary, and the camp’s emotional support chicken, Connie more. They brought humor and heart to the story.

I found that pairing the audiobook with my physical copy helped with the pacing, and I enjoyed Andi Arndt’s narration. She was a great choice for Cat’s character.

I love books about sisterhood, and while I struggled with this one a bit, I do think it’s great for anyone who loves a found family story. There was a little romance, some touching moments, some funny scenes, a fun setting, and a great supporting cast of characters.

Thank you to the author, Uplit Reads, Lake Union Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

There is a slew of drama and some laughs as Cat, detached, single and pregnant, is asked by her seemingly irresponsible sister, Ginger, to help revive their failing family legacy of a theater camp in central Wisconsin. Cat and Ginger enlist the assistance of several misfit characters to pull off a fundraising gala to that could save the camp's future if successful. The supporting characters added depth and dimension, as well as additional comedic relief. I appreciated the underlying message of the importance of belonging and family values, and the nostalgia of summer. I adored references to my home state and geographical area of the setting-a fun way to relate to a story!
3.75 stars

This novel takes you on a ride of two sisters struggling to get their family business in shape. I love the interactions between Cat and Ginger. I did find their story to be very humorous and heartwarming, they are two totally different personalities. Ginger made some unfavorable decisions for the family business and Cat jumps in and tries to help the camp. I would recommend this book to all that enjoy a good humorous family drama novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

"She understood the appeal of the place. The uncomplicated, playful life, the lure of group culture where everyone present was on the same page. A page they'd never considered turning before they arrived at camp."

Having exceptionally fond memories of my few summers at Summer Dance Camp in my early teens, I simply had to read Ann Gavin's book about two sisters tyring to save their family's Summer Camp for theatre kids. Bummer Camp tells the story of Cat, a fiercely independent mom-to-be, and her return to her family home to, once again, put in order what her sister Ginger has messed up. And this time, it is the family business and home: Summer Camp. When Cat returns and finds out Ginger has put the place in the hands of charlatan Bob, who has run for the hills, and left the sisters with a fundraiser gala taking place in just three days, things go from bad to worse, as the sister try to make things work.

So, I am going to start with the not so good. I really, and I mean really, didn't vibe with our main character Cat. She is snooty, and while she is meant to be written as a bit of a know-it-all, it almost became too much for me, meaning I wasn't really able to root for her in this whole summer-of-change storyline. Luckily, some of the other characters (most notably Cat's nephew Shirtless and mysterious groundskeeper Gary) made up for some of that.

Now, what I did really enjoy about the book is the way it managed to capture the feeling of summer camp. The togetherness of being thrown in a group of people you really don't know, but who share the same passion, the feeling of being able to be a little bit braver than you really are, or a little more anything really, testing out parts of who you are, the smell of possibility and overcoming every challenge being thrown your way, and the ultimate sense of dread of losing all that at the end of summer. When I finished the book, I mostly sat there with a "can Summer Camp for adults please become a real thing?"-feeling.

DNF
unfortunetly the writing style of this book wasn't for me. I also didn't like the main character that much

I think I went into this novel with really high expectations given the cover and theme of the book. I was expecting more of a focus no the camp aspect and less on the family tension between Cat & her sister, Ginger.

Cat was not a very likable character, I found her very judgmental, rude and short tempered. The way she treated her sister made my heart hurt to be treated that way by family.

Cat McCarthy left her childhood home/camp behind years ago, now she's seven months pregnant and trying to get everything ready for her future child. One call in the middle of the night from her sister, Ginger, drags Cat back to her home where Ginger is running things, but things are going wrong and Cat might have to pay a big price if she doesn't get things straightened out. Cat and Ginger have three days to create a gala that will convince people to invest in their ambitious summer camp. As Cat finds more reasons to leave the camp behind, she starts to rely on the people who are fully invested in making the camp work.

Thank you, NetGalley, for gifting me this book. From page one I found my new favorite author and devoured this book in a matter of days. Garvin's writing is artfully mixed with metaphors that will impress any reader. She did an amazing job making the story more chaotic as it went, creating a endearing ending that tied the entire story together. Garvin did an amazing job tying in the Cat's family's background in theater, it helped tie in the character's true feelings. I hope to see more from Garvin, but until then, I'll have to search for her other works.

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin is a cozy, end-of-summer read. This is my second Garvin novel, and I find her books both very funny, and hard to put down. I think that this book excellently sets itself up for a sequel should the author choose to pursue one. My only qualm with the book is that it did not do more to build on the premise of a camp for anxious adults. Given the author’s sense of humor, I could have seen this being a bit more of an interesting centerpiece. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy a light read with a summer camp setting.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, Uplit Reads and Ann Garvin for the arc!

Bummer Camp is a feel good story about two sisters with very different personalities and a band of misfit camp staff coming together to save their beloved theater camp. All the descriptions of the mountain & lake scenery plus the fun activities (craft cabin and concession store, I’m looking at you!) made me so nostalgic for my days at summer camp!

With sprinkles of humor, silliness and a little mystery, too … this was a fun and relaxing read, perfect for wrapping up summer! Plus ... lots of Wizard of Oz references which is ALWAYS a win!

A pregnant Cat McCarthy is seeking a quiet, comfy life for her and her baby when an urgent call pulls her back to her family's summer camp. Her sister, Ginger, has been running the camp but now faces the threat of bankruptcy. Cat feels almost obligated to step in and save the day.
This story had me laughing throughout, with a delightful cast of misfit characters and a quirky therapy chicken named Connie. Each character felt welcomed and accepted at the camp, and it was heartwarming to see two sisters, as different as night and day, try to learn from each other. The camp itself, rebranded from a theater camp to a retreat for anxious adults, provides a place of healing and relaxation.

While Cat's character was unique, I understood and appreciated her as the story developed. Ginger and the lovable camp staff like Shirtless Gary added to the charm and humor. The relationships and dynamics between the characters felt relatable, and I was touched by how their parents' story unfolded as well.

Although the pacing started slow, the book became a feel-good read with surprises along the way. I give this 3.5 stars!

Thank you Lake Union for this fun end of summer read, I picked this off NetGalley as a Labor Day weekend treat when I wanted to savor one more fun summer camp read. This was perfect for a quick escape and well developed themes that I enjoy: summer camp being repurposed for adults, family and sister relationships, humor, nostalgia and self growth. Ann Garvin's Bummer Camp was a fun snapshot of all that I love about a summer camp read wrapped in a funny and charming story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I thought the premise was fun, the beginning of the book promising, but somewhere in the middle I really fell off and struggled to finish. The characters are all infuriating in different ways. The lack of clear communication is maddening. While I appreciate the "be yourself" type message, Ginger was the worst character of the book for me - a petulant child in a grown woman's body. I wanted to root for Cat so many times, but so often she is single-minded to the point of ridiculousness and it becomes frustrating - especially near the end of the book.

I was ultimately charmed by many of the side characters (although there were too many of them), and I always love a story about an underdog.

Thank you for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was just ok. It was pretty slow and uneventful for most of the book and although it picks up toward the end it was just not a super enjoyable or fun read for me. There were a lot of characters, a lot of talking, but not a lot of action happening. I did appreciate Gary but sadly he was the only character I really liked or connected with...

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin has humor, heart, and all the feels!
I absolutely adored this book. It was funny, emotional and downright entertaining.
The characters are great and that’s what makes them stand out for me. They are unique, real, and compelling.
I just enjoyed this story tremendously.

Loved the premise but the book is lacking in every way. Poor writing, one dimensional characters and an extremely co fusing and chaotic plot did not work for me.

I had a hard time getting into this. It was confusing, and the story was up and down and hard to follow. The main character was in labor, but she didn’t go to the hospital but to her family’s camp? I’m not even sure if I understood what was happening. And the MC was being insulted by her date, but ended up having a one night stand with him, and then seven months later he wanted to come pick up the bag he left there? I just don’t buy it. The cover was adorable and looked promising but I just couldn’t get into the story.

"Bummer Camp" by Ann Garvin is a heartwarming and humorous novel about a group of women who attend a summer camp designed to help them cope with life's challenges. The story follows the main character, Lucy, who is struggling with personal setbacks and finds herself unexpectedly at the camp. Through a series of comedic and touching events, Lucy and the other camp participants learn about resilience, friendship, and self-discovery. Garvin's writing is engaging and full of wit, making "Bummer Camp" a delightful read that balances humor with meaningful insights.

At first, I was not sure where this book was headed, but I liked the direction it took. Cat and Ginger are sisters with very different personalities, who grew up on their parents’ summer camp. At first the camp was for theater kids, but when their parents left, as adults, Cat managed ti leave but Ginger stayed on and turned it into a camp for depressed and anxious adults. When Ginger calls Cat with the news the camp is in desperate straits, the craziness really starts. I enjoyed the quirky characters surrounding the sisters, as well as the zany misadventures. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

First off, I wanted to like this. The premise sounded really fun, and I was hoping for some lovable characters, summer camp nostalgia, and a little bit of adventure. Maybe a few laughs and a couple tears, but unfortunately it just fell flat for me.

The characters were just not developed well, and too much of everyone's personality was the same "we're so quirky!", except Cat was more the "no one knows how to do anything right but me and I'm tired of it", There was a weird undertone to many of the interactions and *surprise* no one knows how to communicate anything.

The pacing and dialogue was awkward and disjointed. It did not flow well for me. Cat's memories of the camp from when she was young went on for too long and often interrupted whatever was actually happening. A lot of the descriptors for things were also just strange. ("his whiskers read her like a retired man devouring a newspaper in a coffee shop." or "Sugar, the good girl's party drug, the sleepy girl's fiesta before the siesta.") I think most were meant to be funny, but it just didn't hit for me. To be honest, I did a soft DNF @ ~50% and skimmed the rest after the drug scenario. That was weird. The whole found family aspect did not feel genuine since 95% of the book took place over like 4 days.